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Background: Improved endovascular methods make it possible to treat complex ruptured aneurysms, but surgery is still needed in certain cases. We evaluated the effects on the clinical results of the changes in aneurysm treatment., Methods: The study cohort was 837 patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and one or multiple aneurysms, admitted to Dept of Neurosurgery, Uppsala University Hospital from 2012 to 2021. Demography, location and treatment of aneurysms, neurologic condition at admission and discharge, mortality and last tier treatment of high intracranial pressure (ICP) was evaluated. Functional outcome was measured using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) Data concerning national incidences of stroke diseases was collected from open Swedish databases., Results: Endovascular methods were used in 666 cases (79.6%). In 111 (13.3%) with stents. Surgery was performed in 115 cases (13.7%) and 56 patients (6.7%) had no aneurysm treatment. The indications for surgery were a hematoma (51 cases, 44.3%), endovascular treatment not considered safe (47 cases, 40.9%), or had been attempted without success (13 cases, 11.3%). Treatment with stent devices increased, and with surgery decreased over time. There was a trend in decrease in hemicraniectomias over time. Both the patient group admitted awake (n = 681) and unconscious (n = 156) improved significantly in consciousness between admission and discharge. Favorable outcome (GOSE 5-8) was seen in 69% for patients admitted in Hunt & Hess I-II and 25% for Hunt & Hess III-V. Mortality at one year was 10.9% and 42.7% for those admitted awake and unconscious, respectively.The number of cases decreased during the study period, which was in line with Swedish national data., Conclusions: The incidence of patients with SAH gradually decreased in our material, in line with national data. The treatment policy in our unit has been shifting to more use of endovascular methods. During the study period the use of hemicraniectomies decreased., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background Studies on intact abdominal aortic aneurysms mainly focus on treated patients, and data on untreated patients are sparse. The objective was to investigate sex differences among untreated patients regarding rupture and mortality rates and to determine predictors for these events. Sex-specific causes of death were evaluated. Methods and Results All patients ≥40 years diagnosed from 2001 to 2015 (n=32 393) with intact abdominal aortic aneurysms were identified in national registries; 60% (n=19 569) were untreated. Comorbid loads, crude rupture, and mortality rates were assessed. Predictors of 5-year rupture and mortality were analyzed in Cox models (sex, age, comorbidities, income, and marital status). The proportion of men and women with multiple comorbidities was similar. Within 5 years, 798 ruptures occurred (9.7% women versus 6.9% men, P <0.001). Ruptures were independently predicted by female sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.42; P =0.004), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.15-1.62; P <0.001), age (HR, 11.49; 95% CI, 5.68-23.25 for ≥80 years; P <0.001), and income (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.53-0.75 for highest tertile; P <0.001). After 5 years, 56.5% women and 50.4% men were deceased. Mortality was not independently predicted by female sex. Rupture was the third most common cause of death (11.9% women versus 8.7% men; P <0.001). The median time-to-events was 2.8 years. Conclusions A considerable proportion of patients with intact abdominal aortic aneurysms in surveillance remain untreated. Despite surveillance algorithms, the healthcare system fails to prevent a high number of ruptures, especially among women. The time-to-event data highlight the urgency to develop more individualized surveillance.

Background: Community screening to guide preventive interventions for acute aortic disease has been recommended in high-risk individuals. We sought to prospectively assess risk factors in the general population for aortic dissection (AD) and severe aneurysmal disease in the thoracic and abdominal aorta., Methods and Results: We studied the incidence of AD and ruptured or surgically treated aneurysms in the abdominal (AAA) or thoracic aorta (TAA) in 30 412 individuals without diagnosis of aortic disease at baseline from a contemporary, prospective cohort of middle-aged individuals, the Malmö Diet and Cancer study. During up to 20 years of follow-up (median 16 years), the incidence rate per 100 000 patient-years at risk was 15 (95% CI 11.7 to 18.9) for AD, 27 (95% CI 22.5 to 32.1) for AAA, and 9 (95% CI 6.8 to 12.6) for TAA. The acute and in-hospital mortality was 39% for AD, 34% for ruptured AAA, and 41% for ruptured TAA. Hypertension was present in 86% of individuals who subsequently developed AD, was strongly associated with incident AD (hazard ratio [HR] 2.64, 95% CI 1.33 to 5.25), and conferred a population-attributable risk of 54%. Hypertension was also a risk factor for AAA with a smaller effect. Smoking (HR 5.07, 95% CI 3.52 to 7.29) and high apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio (HR 2.48, 95% CI 1.73 to 3.54) were strongly associated with AAA and conferred a population-attributable risk of 47% and 25%, respectively. Smoking was also a risk factor for AD and TAA with smaller effects., Conclusions: This large prospective study identified distinct risk factor profiles for different aortic diseases in the general population. Hypertension accounted for more than half of the population risk for AD, and smoking for half of the population risk of AAA., (© 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Objective: To describe epidemiology in relation to gender differences and treatment modalities 10 years after intracranial aneurysm rupture in the Stockholm cohort 1996-1999., Methods: A total of 468 consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage were followed-up in a retrospective cohort design 10 years after rupture. Information on medical history, clinical variables, and treatments were obtained from patient records. Causes of death were obtained from patient records and The Swedish Cause of Death Register. Incidence of ruptured aneurysms per 100,000 people were calculated from male, female, and overall population data per year from 1996-1999., Results: Ten years after aneurysm rupture 63.9% (n = 296) of patients were still alive. The overall 28-day case fatality was 19.4%; most often deaths were due to the initial hemorrhage. There were no significant differences in survival time between patients treated with clipping (8.4 years, 95% confidence interval 8.1-8.8), compared with endovascularly treated patients (8.2 years, 95% confidence interval 7.4-9.1) (log rank P = 0.550). The female incidence was higher than that of men, and women were significantly older at the onset of aneurysm rupture (55.7 vs. 52.8 years, P = 0.027)., Conclusions: Ten years after rupture, most treated patients were still alive. The mortality was highest in the first month after rupture, due to the initial hemorrhage. Gender differences were apparent in incidence, but 10 years after the rupture mortality rates and survival times were equal between men and women. Survival time was equal between patients within active treatment modalities., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim was to study the epidemiology and outcomes of popliteal artery aneurysm (PA) treated surgically., Methods: Among 110,000 procedures registered prospectively in the Swedish Vascular Registry (Swedvasc), there were 717 primary operations for PA among 571 patients. Patient records were reviewed and data validated against other registries., Results: The median age of the patients was 71 years; 5.8 per cent were women. Among 264 legs treated urgently, 235 had acute ischemia and 24 had rupture. Of patients with unilateral PA, 28.1 per cent had an aortic aneurysm, 8.4 per cent an iliac aneurysm and 9.4 per cent a femoral aneurysm. Extra-popliteal aneurysms were more common when the PAs were bilateral (P = 0.004). The rate of limb loss within 1 year of operation was 8.8 per cent; 12.0 per cent for symptomatic and 1.8 per cent for asymptomatic limbs (P < 0.001). Risk factors for amputation were symptomatic disease, poor run-off, urgent treatment, age over 70 years, prosthetic graft and no preoperative thrombolysis when the ischaemia was acute. Amputation rates decreased over time (P = 0.003). Crude survival was 91.4 per cent at 1 year and 70.0 per cent at 5 years., Conclusion: Multiple aneurysm disease was common when PAs were bilateral. Preoperative thrombolysis of acute thrombosis and the use of vein grafts for bypass improved outcome., (Copyright (c) 2007 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd.)

Objective: The overall aim with this study was to investigate causes of death and mortality rates for women and men treated for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in Sweden., Materials and Method: All patients treated for ruptured and non-ruptured AAA 1987-2002 in Sweden were identified in national registries (n=12917). Age, sex, diagnosis, surgical procedure and mortality were analysed on a patient specific level. Logistic regression and analysis of standardised mortality rates (SMR) were performed., Results: Post operative mortality was similar between the sexes. Age (p<0.0001), and surgery for rupture (p=0.0005), but not gender (p=0.65) were significant risk factor for poor long term survival. SMR revealed increased risk for both sexes compared to the population with significantly higher values for women than men (2.26, CI 2.10-2.43 vs. 1.63, CI 1.57-1.68, p<0.0001). The higher risk for women could be explained by the higher risk for aneurysm related death (ie.thoracic or abdominal aorta) compared to men (Hazard ratio 1.57 vs. 1.0, p<0.0001)., Conclusion: Women do not have an increased surgical risk compared to men, but treated women have an increased risk of premature death compared to men and women in the population. They also have a higher risk for aneurysm related death compared to men with AAA.

Object: With increasing use of endovascular procedures, the number of aneurysms treated surgically will decline. In this study the authors review complications related to the surgical treatment of aneurysms and address the issue of maintaining quality standards on a national level., Methods: A prospective, nonselected amalgamation of every aneurysm case treated in five of six neurosurgical centers in Sweden during 1 calendar year was undertaken (422 patients; 7.4 persons/100,000 population/year). The treatment protocols at these institutions were very similar. Outcome was assessed using clinical end points. In this series, 84.1% of the patients underwent surgery, and intraoperative complications occurred in 30% of these procedures. Poor outcome from technical complications was seen in 7.9% of the surgically treated patients. Intraoperative aneurysm rupture accounted for 60% and branch sacrifice for 12% of all technical difficulties. Although these complications were significantly related to aneurysm base geometry and the competence of the surgeon, problems still occurred apparently at random and also in the best of hands (17%). The temporary mean occlusion time in the patients who suffered intraoperative aneurysm rupture was twice as long as the temporary arrest of blood flow performed to aid dissection., Conclusions: The results obtained in this series closely reflect the overall management results of this disease and support the conclusion that surgical complications causing a poor outcome can be estimated on a large population-based scale. Intraoperative aneurysm rupture was the most common and most devastating technical complication that occurred. Support was found for a more liberal use of temporary clips early during dissection, regardless of the experience of the surgeon. Temporary regional interruption of arterial blood flow should be a routine method for aneurysm surgery on an everyday basis. A random occurrence of difficult intraoperative problems was clearly shown, and this factor of unpredictability, which is present in any preoperative assessment of risk, strengthens the case for recommending neuroprotection as a routine adjunct to virtually every aneurysm operation, regardless of the surgeon's experience.